Life Is What You Make Of It

A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with. A man is what he makes of himself

Alexander Graham Bell

The media, with its fake news and scaremongering would have us believe that we are headed for Armageddon, but the reality is very different. This is, arguably, the greatest time to be alive.

We live in exciting times. Technology is evolving at a rapid rate, and the possibilities we are being presented with are endless. Not only this, but we are also well of the way to achieving equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. We’re not quite there yet in all areas, but we’ve come an awfully long way in the last 30 years and it’s only a matter of time.

Living in an age of equality, which is full of opportunities means one thing above all. It means that every single one of us has the opportunity to forge the life we want for ourselves. Life is no longer a production line of birth, education, work, family, retirement and then death. Career paths which were restricted before are now open to anyone who is suitably qualified. Employers are offering flexible working arrangements so that women can have successful careers while also raising a family. Some firms, such as 3M, even offer employees the opportunity to use company resources to explore their own ideas and projects, thus driving innovation.

With this in mind, it’s now more true than ever that you have the ultimate control over the direction of your life. People are no longer products or victims of their circumstances. We no longer have to stick with circumstances which we have outgrown. And it is natural to outgrow your current circumstances. As we learn and grow, we change as people, and as we change so do our needs and goals.

With a nearly-level playing field, why do some design the lives they want and others seem to be happy just muddling through? It all comes down to confidence, self-belief and how much they actually want it.

How many times have you dreamed big, only to stop short and tell yourself that you could never do it and would look stupid trying. You might fail and people will laugh. People might turn their backs on you, and so on. You will make a start when the time is right. This is self-sabotage and a matter of low confidence or a fear of failure.

We ALL have access to the same information and resources. We all desire a better quality of life than we have right now. At some point, we all go after our vision of better. The ones who make it happen are no different than the rest of us. They don’t have more hours in the day or any other physical advantages. What they do have, however, is resilience. They keep going when times get tough. They learn, adapt and get back to work. This doesn’t stop when thy achieve their goals, though. Once they achieve one goal, they simply replace it with something more challenging. This is how people become successful and end up living their dream lives. They know what they want, and they want it so deeply that they will do or endure WHATEVER IT TAKES to get it.

So, basically, determine what you want, go after it and do not give up until you get it. Learn to love the process, because these experiences are what will help you to grow and develop into the person you want to become.

Map out the life you want for yourself. Then, determine where your strengths and weaknesses lie before acting on them. Make a plan, and then go after it. When things go well, reflect on why things are working. When complications and challenges arise, reflect on what you can learn from them before picking yourself up and going after it again.

If you’re not happy with your life and want more, then decide what it is that you really want and then DO more than anyone else is prepared to do to achieve it. The perfect time and circumstances do not exist, and even if they did you don’t need them. If you want to live the life of your dreams, all you need is a healthy dose of resilience and a solid work ethic.